YMCA Sports Named "Bright Spot"
Posted by C G on 9/23/2019
Tags: Youth Development
This is an excerpt about the
YMCA from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services report entitled The
National Youth Sports Strategy that was released in September 2019. The report,
a roadmap to increase youth sports participation, features the YMCA as one of
the country’s “Bright Spots.” Our own District Vice President Matt Thompson is quoted.
BRIGHT SPOT
The YMCA: Engaging Youth Across the
Nation
As the
largest provider of youth sports programs in the United States, the YMCA uses
its national reach to advance positive youth development through sports. It
aims to make sports accessible to all by offering a wide variety of sports in
after-school programs and camps.
The YMCA of
the USA serves as the national resource office for more than 800 independent
YMCA member organizations. Katie Adamson, Vice President, Health Partnerships
and Policy, YMCA of the USA, says the organization’s federated model enables
local Ys to be fexible. “YMCA of the USA supports the nationwide network of Ys
to help them be most effective, and local Ys tailor their programs to community
needs and resources.”
While local
programming may vary, all YMCA programs aim to deliver on the key principles of
YMCA Youth Sports:
·
Everyone
plays
·
Safety
first
·
Character
development
·
Positive
competition
·
Family
involvement
·
Sport
for all
·
Sport
for fun
Strategies: Meet All Youth Where They
Are
The YMCA
already reaches many rural and underserved communities; in fact, about 80
percent of American households live within 10 miles of a Y. But Adamson says
they are always looking for creative ways to reach youth in the other 20
percent. “We can’t expect kids without resources to come to us,” Adamson says.
“We have to go to them.”
One solution
is the “Y without walls.” Matt Thompson, District Vice President, Gateway
Region YMCA, explains that Ys partner with local organizations to deliver
programs beyond YMCA buildings — anywhere from school gyms to hotel pools.
“Even if all you have is some green space,” Thompson says, “we can start youth
sports programming.”
Thompson says
most Ys avoid pay-to-play and intensive-travel team models that place an undue
burden on families. Ys provide financial assistance for youth who need it, and
most stick to one practice and one game per week. “We don’t promote
specialization,” he says, “and we don’t make families overextend themselves to
participate.”
The YMCA also
makes sure to include youth with disabilities. More than 25 percent of Ys
collaborate with the Special Olympics on adaptive sports offerings, and a pilot
program is adapting the YMCA’s Safety Around Water classes to better serve
youth with autism and cerebral palsy.
Thompson says
the YMCA’s inclusion efforts go beyond programming. “We don’t just offer
adaptive sports — we’re building specialized sports facilities for diverse
abilities.” For example, the YMCA of Greater Houston partnered with the
not-for-profit Miracle League to build 2 adaptive sports complexes where youth
with disabilities can safely play baseball and other sports.
Impact: Sports and Support for
Millions of Youth
Nationwide,
2,700 YMCAs work with 600,000 volunteers in 10,000 communities. The YMCA’s size
and each make it the largest provider of youth sports, summer camps, and
after-school programs in the United States.
Each year the YMCA engages 9 million youth across all programming,
including over 1 million youth in youth sports programs.
In addition
to engaging youth in sports, YMCA coaches and staff impact youth development by
serving as role models. “Having a positive relationship with an adult is a
critical factor in the health and well-being of every child,” Adamson says.
Lesson Learned: Focus on Positive
Youth Development
Thompson says
the YMCA has found success by promoting a positive, holistic model of youth
sports. “We’re talking about kids here,” he says. “So more than competition,
it’s about fun, learning, and developing social skills.”
Adamson agrees. “That’s where we center all our
work: on helping kids increase their confidence, build strong relationships,
and create that sense of belonging. It’s about feeling part of somethi